Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-12-02
PASTOR nAGLuy asTeN,sHED
by u Discovery which lie Made at a
Marriage Cereinnny.

A Philadelphia special says: The Rev.
/ /. W. Bag.ey. pastor of the Tabernacle
Baptist church on Broadway, Camden,
has bad some strange experiences in the
thousand or so marriages he has per
formed in that city during his pastorate,
but an episode occurred tonight that
fairly took the pastors breath away.
Hackmau Hires, who stands beside his
coupe at the Federal-Street ferry, is
always on the lookout for the
stray passengers who cross the river. and
his perceptiye powers can tell to a Ger.
tainiy when couple arrives that wishes
the aid OF a minister or justice Of the
peace to tie the connubal knot. He
was at his usual stand this evening when
well.dressed man and woman, arm in
arm, came along and engaged his car
rage. They were driven rapidly TO tho
house OF the Rev. Mr.. Bagley, sos
Broadway, and the hackman ac-
companicd them into the house to wit
ness their proposed marriage. The
clergyman hGd noticed that both
the woull-be bride and groom were
nicely but not extensively dressed,
and that they seemed very nervous and
anxious for the ceremony to be rer-
formed as quickly as possible. The
groom was a fne-lOoking man, but the
brides features were concealed by
heavy veil, which she seemed in no
hurry to remove. MIR. Bagley took out
his marriage certificate book and began
asking the usual formal questions. The
groom gave his name as Joseph ).
Ellen, thirty-two years at age, English
man by birth, now living at Overlook,
Montgomery county, Pa, and his trade
that Of n groom.
Turning to the bride the reverend gen
tlcman started to ask the same questions
In mumbling and smQthered kind OF
voice she said her name was Emma Pye,
Twenty-Five years of age that she also
lived at OvcTbroOk and was employed at
the same place as Elem. The answers
were satisfactory, but Mr.. Bagley had
his suspicious aroused by the woman
keeping her veil down. tie requested
them to stand up before him TO pro-
nounce them man and wife, but before
ne BEGAN the ceremony he asked the
bride to remove her veil. This she re-
fused, and Mr.. BaRley said he
would not proceed until she did 50.
She still objected, when the reye-
rend gentlemen jumped forward,
threw the article over her head,
and, to his establishment, discovered that
her face was covered by gauze mask.
Mr.. Bagley was indignant, and quick as
a flash tore the mask from the womar's
face, disclosing, rs he termed It, "a
woman as black rs the ace of spades.
4 dramatic scene followed, and the par
ties were ordered Immediately from the
house. The groom, however, was para
lived with fear, and asked the minister
"how much money it would take TO keep
the matter quiet 81 Will not shield
YOU" replied Mir. Bagley; land" he
added, "get out of this place immedi-
ately or I'll have you arrested" The
couple hastily left, got into the coupe,
and as fass as the backman could drive
were taken to the ferry, where they
caught the boat for Philadelphia.
Mr. Eires, tie hackmau, states that
he was innocent of any knowledge OF
the woman being colored, or else he
might have been tempted 70 drive them
to the City Hall. The aifalr has created
considerable excitement